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L Lb e e h s s Lb e e h s` 2 T O G N T.. A M ,N Tw n. d o M. o N i RAMIE DEGURTIGATING MACHINE.

Y Patented Jem.` 14, 1896.

INVENTOR l l l l 1 l l 1 a l i l l l l 1 1 WITH ESSES (No Model.) .2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. N.' MMNGOT. RAMIE DEGORTIGATING MACHINE.

Patented Jan. 14, 18.96.

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INVENTOR ANDREW B GRAHAMAMCNO LHHOANASHINGTUND C UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea JOSEPH N. MA'INGOT, OF SAN FERNANDO, TRINIDAD, ASSIGNOR TO EDH-TARD CARRIGAN, OF VARVIOK, RHODE ISLAND.

RAMIEDECORTICATING IVICHIN E.

SPECIFICATION `raming par/r. of Letters Patent No. 553,034, dated January 14, 189e.

' Application ned Apel z, 1892. sani in. 127,519. (No man.)

To cil/ZZ whom it may concer/t: A and serveto positively sepa-rate the stalks Be it known that I, JOSEPH N. MAINGOT, of and guide them between the feeding-rolls 2 Q. San Fernando, Trinidad, have invented a new These rolls exert an equal pressure upon both and useful Improvement in Ramie-Decortisides of the stalk, and hence center itand 5 eating Machines, of which the follo wing is a cause it to strike the horizontal cutting or slit- 5 5 full,clear, and exact description, reference beting knife S upon a diameter, and hence di ing had to the accompanying drawings, forlnvide it into two equal parts. This knife S is ing part of this specification, in which triangular in cross section and directs the Figure 1 is a 'vertical longitudinal section stalks into channels 9 and 10. These chanro through my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a nels lead the one set, 9, upwardly to the upper 6o similar view of a Inodiied form of the same. series of rolls 1l and the other set downwardly Fig. 3 is a detail cross-sectional view through to the series 12, and they are provided with a portion of the endless feeder. Fig. fl is a separating-partitions2),whichkecp the stalks front elevation, partly in section, of the crushapart and direct them to the channels of the 15 ing-rollers. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of the rollers. As the stalk is divided in a horizon- 65 plate and partitions above the endless carrier, tal plane the woody portion of the upper half and Fig. G is a vertical cross-section of the is upon the under side, and in order to bring n guiding-channels and their partitions. the woodT part of the other vhalf upon the My invention relates to the decortication of same side l shape the channels 1U in the form 2o bers for use. in textile fabrics, and more esof a spiral, this half of the stalk thus being 7o pecially to that of raniie fiber, in preparing partially rotated to bring its woody part unwhich great difficulty has been experienced derneath. in. feeding the ramiastalks and removing the The rollers are provided with longitudinal bark and woody center or core between which ribs or teeth 13 which mesh with each other 25 lie the desired fibers. and serve to separate the pellicule from the 7 5 ltconsists, first, in an improved feeding debark and break up the woody portion and vice for feeding the stalks of rainie to the disremove the same from the fibrous bark lying integratingrollers, and, second, in the contherebetween. They are also provided with struction and arrangement of the said rollers a series of encircling grooves which lie be- 3o and their connections, as well as in the varitween the channels leading from the knife, So ons combinations, as hereinafter more fully and contain the longitudinal strips 14, which described, and set forth in the claims. extend the length of the series. These strips In the drawings, in which similar numerals are supported verticall;T in the frame of the indicate corresponding parts,-2 2 represent a machine and form separated channels, which 3 5 pair of feed-rolls, consisting of bodies of wood -constitute continuations of the channels 9 and 85 or other suitable material mounted in station- 10 and keep the stalks separated while passary bearings and covered with a layer of ing through the rollers. yielding material 3, preferably india-rubber. A series of stationary brushes 15 are sup- In front of these rolls is an endless belt or ported upon eross-rods carried on extensions 4o chain et, supported upon and moved bythe of the strips between the rollers, and serve to 9o rollers 5 5. The surface of this belt is probrush off the gummy substances which may vided with a series of longitudinal depresadhere to the upper rollers and which would sions or grooves throughout its length of suffiotherwise clog up the same and stop their. cient size to receive the ramie-stalks which action. A similar series 16 is supported beare laid thereon and fall into the grooves,be neath the lower series of each'set and brush 9 5 ing pushed laterally over its surface by an olf the lower rollers in a similar way. operator standing beside it. Above the inner Five of the disintegrating-rollers are shown, end of this belt is supported a plate G, from and beyond the same are carried two sets of which depend partitions '7, which terminate rubbing-rolls, each set consist-ing of a roll l 5o just above the belt and between its grooves rotating at about the same speed as the disroo integrating-rollers, and a second roll 18 rotating at about four times the speed and serving to rub off the adhering particles of refuse matter which have been broken up by the preceding series of rollers, the rapidly-rotating rubbing-roller 18 of the irst'set being beneath and of the secondset above, so that the particles on both sides are removed. These f sets of rubbing-rollers, which in the claims f from the upper series drop upon an endless belt 19, which moves ybeneath the same andy at right anglesthereto and removes the same sidewise, While from the lower series they drop upon. the ground. the sets of rubbing-rolls to suitable tables or receptacles, and are thenceremoved to the boiling and bleaching vats.

The machine of Fig. 2 is much more simple and is designed tofflatten the half-sections of the stalks and remove the major portion of the woody core and bark. The feeding devices are the same as is the machine of Figi .1; but from the channels 9 and 10 the sections of stalk pass to plain flattening-rolls 20, andv thence to rubbing-rolls 21 and 22, which are covered with some rough material like sandpaper and whose adjacent surfaces rotate in opposite directions and remove a major portion of the refuse matter. Small feeding-rollers 23 and 2i` are placed beyond the rubbingrolls and serve to pull the ends of the stalks through said rolls. The upper roller, 21, of the upper setcarries the bark and pellicule around its periphery to the scraper 25, which removes the same, it being received upon a belt 2G or other suitable conveyer, Of the lower set the smaller roller, 2l, is underneath and the fiber is received upon the endless belt 27, while the woody matter or bare stalks of both pairs of rolls are received upon the screen 28.

The operation of the machine is obvious from the above description. The stalks being laid upon the endless belt are pushed over its surface and fall into the grooves therein.

,Thence they pass between the partitions of the plate 6 to the feeding-rolls, and then being divided by the knife pass through the separated channels to the disintegrating-rolls. These rolls break up and separate the bark and woody center from the ramie fiber, and the stalk-sections being kept separate bythe vrefuse portions.

disintegrating-rollers grow f The fibers pass from f vertical strips they reach the rubbing-rolls, by which the upper and under surfaces of the fibers are rubbed with a light touch which thoroughly removes all adhering particles.

' In the'machine of Fig. 2 'the stalks, being fed in and split in a similar manner, are flatf Vtened. lbythe iirst sets'of rollers and then thoroughly rubbed to remove ther crushed is designed for use upon farms where ramie is yraised'.

f The advantages of my invention are ob'-v A large number of stalks may bey sif vious. multaneously fed to the machine by automatic 'mechanisnn when before hand-feeding of oney This machine is not as efiicient as the former, but is much cheaper andv stalk, or at most a few, at a time was necesf sary. The yfeed-rollers having stationary bearings anda yielding surface center the stalk which is thoroughly cleaned and stripped lof its adhering barkand woodymatter bythe following sets of rollers.

Many variations may be made in the form land arrangements of the device without ydef ,oo

parting from myinventiomfsince f, Y

vThat I claim is 1. In a feeding-machine, the combinationr with the longitudinally ygrooved endless IOO rolls having yielding surfaces; substantially f as described.

3. In a ber-machine, the combination with the feeding-rollers, the splitting-knife and the breaking-rollers, of separating partitions extending from the feed-rollers through the breaking rollers and keeping the stalks apart from each other, both at the point of crushing and in their passage from one set of rollers to another; substantially as described.

4. The combination with the feeding-rollers and splitting knife, of the separated channels leading therefrom, one set of said channels having a spiral turn therein, whereby the half stalks are turned half a revolution; substantially as described.

5, The combination with the breaking-rollers having annular grooves, of vertical strips located in said grooves, and serving as separating partitions; substantially as described.

6. The combination With the toothed breaking rollers having annular grooves, of vertical strips located in said grooves, and stationary brushes bearing upon the breaking rollers; substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. The combination With the breaking-rollers, o f the two sets of rollers, the upper of one set and the lower of the other set being roller brushes rotated at a much higher rate IIO of speed than their corresponding rollers; In Vtestimony whereof I have hereunto set substantially as described. A my hand this Nth day of March, A. D. 1892.

S. In a fiber-machine, the combination with the splitting knife and breaking rollers, of a JOSEPH N., MAINGOT. 5 series of covered separated channels arranged XVitnesses side by side and extending from the knife to IV. B. CORWIN,

the said rollers; substantially as described. H. M. CORWIN. 

